Written Answers

Friday, 10th October 2003.

Iraq: Costs of Military Campaign

Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bach on 15 September (WA 155), when they will be able to inform Parliament of the public expenditure that has been, and is likely to be, incurred in relation to the first year of the occupation of Iraq, including the cost of securing Iraq, policing it, and stabilising a new government in Iraq.[HL4617]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach): The departmental resource accounts for financial year 200203 should be published at the end of October. They will include the costs incurred during that year on operations in Iraq. I plan, at the same time, to provide whatever further cost information I can.

Private Finance Initiative: Acute Hospitals

Earl Howe asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many private finance initiative contracts for acute hospital projects have been signed since May 2001; and which projects these are.[HL4344]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): Eight private finance initiative contracts for acute hospital projects over £10 million have been signed since May 2001. These are listed as follows:

National Health Service Trust

Capital Value £ million

Financial Close

Dudley Group of Hospitals

137

01/05/2001

Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre

37

20/04/2002

Gloucestershire Hospitals

32

01/05/2002

Leeds Teaching HospitalsWharfedale

14

20/09/2002

The Whittington

32

09/10/2002

University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire

379

27/11/2002

East Lancashire HospitalsBlackburn

110

09/07/2003

Southern Derbyshire Acute Hospitals

312.20

12/09/2003

A limited amount of information is collected centrally for schemes with a capital value below £10 million due to the delegation of responsibility for approving such cases.

10 Oct 2003 : Column WA86

NHS Trusts: Costs and Income

Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will state the financial basis on which National Health Service trusts are permitted to raise income from private patients and in particular whether National Health Service trusts are required to cover all costs, including apportionments of overheads and capital charges.[HL4440]

Lord Warner: National Health Service trusts are required to recover full costs, including apportioned overheads and apportioned capital charges, from the charges they make for services offered to private patients. NHS trusts have the powers to generate income in order to benefit their core NHS services in accordance with Section 7 of the Health and Medicines Act 1998.

Agriculture: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:

In relation to Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food, whether the promised research on the potential for further reducing agricultural emissions has begun; and, if so, what is the planned timetable.[HL4444]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty): For over 10 years the Government have had a programme of research to quantify agriculture's contribution to UK greenhouse gas emissions and develop cost-effective measures of control. The programme is reviewed regularly to ensure focus and build on the results of completed research. The most recent review was completed during 2002, and is published on the Defra website along with the results of completed individual projects. In 200304 the programme is expected to cost around £400,000.

Biosafety: Cartagena Protocol

Lord Jenkin of Roding asked Her Majesty's Government:

Why they have not yet ratified the Cartagena protocol on biosafety; and whether they expect to have ratified in time to participate in the first meeting under the protocol in February 2004.[HL4561]

Lord Whitty: The European Community is expected to complete implementation of the Cartagena protocol later this month through the entry into force of measures governing the export of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). This will enable the UK to meet all of its obligations under the protocol, whereupon we will complete the ratification procedure. The Government regard the Cartagena protocol as an important international agreement governing the handling and movement of GMOs, and fully expect to be an active party at the first meeting of parties to the protocol in February 2004.

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Landfill Tax Credit Scheme

Baroness Howe of Idlicote asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the proposed profile of spending that is expected to result from the changes to the landfill tax credit scheme announced in this year's Budget.[HL4519]

Lord Whitty: In November 2002 the Pre-Budget Report allocated £100 million/£110 million/£110 million to sustainable waste management in the UK in the years 200304/200405/200506. This was confirmed in Budget 2003 and amounts to a spending programme for England of around £84 million/£92 million/£92 million.

As the Government have announced, a proportion of the funding will be used to fund transitional arrangements for the landfill tax credit scheme [ref

10 Oct 2003 : Column WA88

parliamentary statement of 3 February 2003 made by the Economic Secretary to the Treasury] and Defra further announced [refnews release 259/03 issued on 4 July 2003] that £24 million would be made available to supplement the waste minimisation and recycling fund. A new waste implementation programme was launched in May this year as part of the Government's response to the Strategy Unit and the breakdown of programme of activities for proposed spend in this financial year includes: